To topple Assad, we should defeat him in his home province: Rebels say

Continuous pleas by the revolutionary rally in Latakia for Arms supply and Aid to the rebellious battalions in the embattled province.

The last appeal made by 13 opposition and revolutionary groups for an urgent support. The statement, obtained by Zaman Alwasl, was addressed to the main opposition group, the National Coalition and to the Chiefs of Joint staff.

''To topple Assad, we should defeat him in his home province, so the supply is a priority,'' they stated. 

The regime army has recaptured all rebel-held positions in Latakia, President Bashar al-Assad's home province, state-run SANA news agency reported Monday quoting a military source to AFP.

 A Syrian security force, however, told AFP the army still had to recapture the Salma region, a strategic area along the border with Turkey that has been in rebel hands since the end of last year.

Rebels positioned in remote enclaves in Latakia's mountains launched the "battle for the liberation of the Syrian coast" about two weeks ago.

They quickly captured a dozen Alawite villages near Qordaha, home town of Assad's later father and long-time president Hafez al-Assad.

Rebel Free Syrian Army chief of staff Selim Idriss on August 11 toured one of the towns captured by the rebels, in a morale-boosting visit for the fighters.

 Days ago, Mo'taz Shaklab, prominent opposition activist told Zaman Alwasl after his visit to the rebel-held areas in Latakia, ''If we don't want to see another 'Qusayr' we have to supply the Rebels of Latakia mountains with arms and fighters, the Regime army is advancing, it dominated two villages were under rebels' control,  The fighters of Free Syrian Army FSA are alone without any support, the Assad warplanes hit the rebels strongholds by the explosive barrels where no Anti-aircrafts missile are existed or developed rockets, Shaklab said.

Mustafa al-Sakhta, the representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the main Opposition group warned of neglecting the rebels calls for arms and ammunition  to keep fighting in the frontlines of the Latakia , ''we were born in this coastal land we know more than you, we need to arm the rebels.''

Sakhta have criticized the performance of the coalition saying the opposition were busy by small interest while Homs was pounding everyday by Assad's mortar bombers and Heavy artillery and Air raids.

 Sakhta has assured in his message the values of coexistence and joint living with all citizens of Latakia province.

In recent months, there have been a rising number of clashes between al-Qaida-linked factions and more moderate opposition brigades. The infighting has undermined the opposition's overall effort to topple the Assad regime.

Despite their ideological differences, Islamic extremist groups and more secular-minded rebels also frequently coordinate their efforts when its suits them and there is a mutual benefit.

That has been the case in Latakia, activists say, where more moderate rebel groups fighting alongside al-Qaida-linked jihadi factions, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, captured 11 Alawite villages.

  The real death toll in the Syrian war could be more than 200,000 people, a pro-opposition watchdog group said Saturday, as it provided a latest count that matched that of the UN. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of more than 106,000 people, but warned that the real toll could be twice as high. The United Nations said in July that more than 100,000 have been killed in Syria since March 2011.